The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-10-15
HOW OSUCCEED LIFE.
BY r. T. BARNUM.

ject on which the New York Sun asked several successful men to write. P. T. Barnum was one of the number, land here is what he wrote:
 The road to wealth is, AS Dr. Frank lin truly says, "as plain as the road to mill" It consists simply in expend- ing less than we earn. Many may say, "We understand this; this is econ- omy, and we know economy is wealth i; we know we can't eat our cake and keep it also." Yet perhaps more fail ures arise from mistakes on this point than almost any other. True econ- omy is misapprehended, and people go through life without properly comprehending what that principle is. There are many who think that econ- omy consists in saving cheese parings and candle ends, in cutting off two- pence from the laundress' bill, and doing all sorts of little mean things. Economy is not meanness. This false economy may frequently be seen in men of business, and in those instances it often runs to writing paper. You find good business men who save all the old envelopes and scraps and would not tear new sheet of paper if they could avoid it for the world. That is all very well; they may in this way save B or BIO year, but being so economical (only in note paper), they think they can afford to waste time, to have expensive parties and to drive their carriages. True economy consists in always making the income exceed the outgo. It needs no prophet to tell us that those who live fully up to their means, without any thought of reverse in this life, can never attain indepen- dence.
 The foundation o1 success in life is good health, that is the substratum of fortune. Then, how important it is to study the laws of health, which is but another name for the laws of nature. The closer we keep to the laws of na- ture the nearer we are to good health. Tobacco and rum should be summed. To make money requires clear brain. No matter how bountifully a man may be blessed with intelligence, if the brain is muddled and his judg- .ment warped by drink, it is impossi- ble for him to carry on business suc- cessfully.
 The safest plan, and the one most sure of success for the young man starting in life, is to select the voca- tion which is most congenial to his tastes. There is as much diversity in our brains as in our countenances. Some men are born mechanics, while some have great aversion to ma chinery. Unless man enters upon a vocation intended for him by nature and best suited to his peculiar genius he cannot succeed. After securing the right vocation, you must be careful to select the proper location, and not be- gin business where there are already enough to meet all demands in the same occupation.
 No man has right to expect to succeed in life unless he understands his business, and nobody can under stand his business thoroughly unless he learns il by personal application and experience. You must exercise caution in laying your plans, but be bold in carrying them out. A man who is all caution will never dare to take hold and be successful, and man who is all boldness is merely reckless and must eventually fail.
 There is no such thing in the world as luck. If man adopts proper meth ods to be successful, duck" will not prevent him. If he does not succeed there are reasons. for it, although, per- haps, he may not be able to see them.
 Money is good for nothing unless you know the value of it by experi- ence. Give boy $20,000 and put him in business, snd the chances are he will lose every dollar of it before he is a year older. Nine out of ten of the rich men of our country to-day started out in life as poor boys, with deter mined wills, industry, perseverance economy and good habits.
 The great ambition should be to ex- eel all others engaged in the same oc- cupation. Whenever you find the best doctor, best clergyman, best shoe- maker or anything else, that man is most sought for, and always has enough to do. Every boy should learn some trade or profession. Engage il one kind of business only and stick tc it faithfully until you succeed, or un- til your experience shows that you should abandon it. A constant ham. mering on one nail will generally drive it home at last SO that it can ,bt clinched. There is good sense in thu old caution about having too many